3 SEO Tactics You Can Implement Today
Adding captions to pictures allows you to list keywords without changing your text.
Many small business owners find Search Engine Optimization (SEO) intimidating and either leave it up to the experts or don't consider it at all.
While SEO includes some aspects and strategies best handled by specialists, there are also several equally impactful SEO tactics that every small business owner can start implementing today to improve their search ranking.
Tactic #1: Use Clean URLs
The path to a specific page on your website is called a URL, which stands for Uniform Resource Locator. The URL can consist of letters and numbers, as well as plus (+), period (.), or hyphen (-).
A clean URL is a web address that means something to non-experts and search engines.
For example:
https://lavilo-webdesign.com/blog/what-is-a-clean-url
Everyone, including search engines, can understand this URL.
While many website platforms autogenerate URLs, you can override these URLs and choose your own.
In Squarespace, go to your Admin Panel.
Go to Website > Pages.
Click the Gear Icon of the page you want to change.
A menu opens. Go to General and scroll to URL Slug (Handle). You can change the displayed URL. Make sure you separate the words with plus (+) or hyphen (-).
You can do the same with the filename of pictures you upload to your website.
Pro Tip: Include relevant keywords in your URLs and filenames to enhance their visibility to search engines.
Tactic #2: Add Captions to Your Pictures
Adding captions to pictures is often underrated. But they are a great place to list keywords.
In Squarespace, add an image block to a section.
Click the image block, then click the pencil icon to edit it.
Under Caption, select the option Caption Below.
Write your caption in the field below the image.
If you don't want the caption to display on your website, select the option Off under Caption.
Pro Tip: Even if the caption is turned off, search engines can still read it, making captions an ideal place to list keywords.
Tactic #3: Structure Your Texts
Search engines like structured texts, and so do your visitors.
Structured texts are easier to understand and save time by allowing users to scan an article instead of reading each sentence.
These 5 principles make text easy to scan for humans and search engines.
Write in short sentences.
Split your writing into logical steps.
Write a heading for each logical step.
Hierarchically structure your headings.
Create a visual hierarchy.
Pro Tip: Use a bold font or a different color to emphasize a crucial point in a longer paragraph. If you use this technique sparingly, visitors can already understand what your article covers by only reading the highlighted sections of your text.
Great Things Result From Many Small Things Done Right
Entrepreneurs often expect great things to happen instantly, like a sudden increase in leads or web traffic. However, sustained improvements take time and usually result from many small things done right.
The famous Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh said: "Great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things brought together."
These three SEO tactics may not be fancy, but they are fundamental for making your website appealing to visitors and search engines.
How to Write Copy for the Web: Make it easier for visitors to scan your webpage. These 5 principles increase your chances that visitors will find your content engaging and decide to read the full text.
